Ignore the fact that most studies of statins for primary prevention
fail to report any total mortality benefit. If statins only
prevent, at best, one or two percent of these healthy users from
having a cardiovascular event over a decade or so of use, then -
though most of the prevented events are nonfatal - no more than one
or two percent can possibly see a benefit in increased individual
lifespan. (Meanwhile, a few others may see reduced lifespan from
diabetes and its treatments, heart failure, the consequences of
inability to exercise, etc.) The fact that someone, somewhere has
gained ten years of life from taking a statin does not imply that
the average primary-prevention user can expect anything remotely
similar, and any suggestion that they might would be grossly
misleading..

MedicineBear, CNC

04/26/14

More junk coverage of another junk study. &quot;Participants were also
told that this drug would have no side effects and could be started
and stopped with no consequences other than receiving less
benefit.&quot; Right. Like &quot;no side effects&quot; and &quot;no [negative]
consequences&quot; applies to statins. If anything, this study
illustrates that patients are finding out the real drug facts on
their own and no longer trust doctors. Doctors have a financial
incentive to push drug company propaganda on patients (notice the
new buzz words: &quot;treatment&quot;=drug, &quot;positive patient
outcome&quot;=benchmark for doctors indicating patients &quot;at risk&quot; are
taking drugs to &quot;prevent&quot; unproven extension of life). Notice how
doctors are treating RISK FACTORS now in lieu of addressing the
signs and symptoms the Patient comes in for? That's because most
docs work for corporations (tied to insurance and pHarma) and are
now paid to treat RISK (with drugs). The patients no longer trust
you or the whole medical-industrial-profiteering complex that you
shill for..

Greg MS RPh

04/26/14

Show me where in the hell they came up with "adding a decade of life". There is good
evidence that statins have an over all negative effect on mortality and morbidity . This
article should come with disclaimer. If doctors warned of all the serious side effects,
nobody in their right mind, would take this poison.
Pharmacist whose life was ruined by lipitor..

AnonOmouse

04/26/14

Greg, how was your
life ruined by
Lipitor? (Just
wondering,
interested.) Did you
experience permanent
damage? How are you
sure Lipitor caused
it? I do hope that
you can recover from
any side effects and
I wish you well.
Any experience here
with red yeast rice
for lowering
cholesterol?
I do agree with
Medicine Bear that
patients are
informing themselves
and investigating
pros and cons
because no drug is
risk-free and
sometimes the cure
is worse than the
disease. I do think
that docs tend to
trust Big Pharma too
readily and discount
serious side
effects.
I have no conflicts
of interest, pro or
con, with regards to
statins. It is
interesting how
strong opinions on
statins can be..

O'Taba

04/26/14

I am absolutely agree with the authors of previous comments. Also statins were found to reduce CoQ10 in
humans..

Do dieu Que MD, graduated from Hue medical School,midle of VN

04/27/14

Only patients with a prior cardiovascular disease events or a
history of myocardial infarction are more willing to take and adhere
the statins than people with no such history.The problem is that
patient should be gained an appropriate information about
statins,including the risks and the benefits because better risk-
benefit perception will lead to higher compliance with prevention
therapy,what this mean is that the decision to embark on a lifelong
course of statins is most effective in adding extralife span if
started early than late.The sands of time catch up with everyone,
earlier decision will get higher outcome..

James P. Hilton, EMT-P

04/27/14

According to the article, the term “medication disutility” describes a patient's "..aversion to taking a
drug or drugs indefinitely to prevent an event from happening or extend life."
Clearly there is an unbridgeable gulf in thinking between those sitting comfortably atop the ivory
towers of the medical establishment in this country and the rest of us.
With headlines and expert opinions such as the short list below, who in their right mind could possibly
blame the American people for their intense distrust?
Is the public's legitimate skepticism regarding medical dysfunction and the pharmaceutical industry’s
corrupting influence really a case of "medication disutility" as this article states or is it just good old
fashioned common sense?
You be the judge.
"The average doctor is woefully ignorant of alternatives to drug treatments." -James P. Carter, M.D.,
professor Tulane University School of Public Health
"83% of the revenue of the New England Journal of Medicine comes from drug advertising." -Alan
Levin, M.D., J.D.
"Medical training is still biased against ..prevention and against the simplest tactics of nutrition and
exercise ..."-Melvin Konner, M.D., Ph.D.
"..The pharmaceutical industry uses its immense wealth and power to co-opt nearly every institution
that might stand in its way -including the U.S. Congress, the Food and Drug Administration, and the
medical profession itself." -Marcia Angell, M.D. past editor of the New England Journal of Medicine
"..only 1% of the articles in medical journals are scientifically sound." -Richard Smith, past editor of the
British Medical Journal
"DRUG COMPANIES INVENTING DISEASES TO BOOST THEIR PROFITS." -Times Online (May 2006)
"COLUMBIA PUTS PROFITS OVER PEOPLE, EX-MANAGER SAYS" -The Wall Street Journal (June 1, 1997)
"DOCTORS ACKNOWLEDGE DRUG-FIRM CONTACTS" -USA TODAY (February 6, 2002)
"DOCTORS ACCEPT BMW BRIBES IN KICKBACK CULTURE OF CREATIVE FRAUD" -The Sydney Morning
Herald (July 31, 2000)
Over thirty years ago Henry Gadsden, the head of Merck Pharmaceuticals was quoted about his life's
greatest ambition, his dream come true, so to speak: "..to make drugs for healthy people so that
Merck could sell to everyone..."
As of 2013 widely publicized research conducted by the Mayo Clinic has now confirmed that a
whopping 70% of Americans are taking at least one doctor prescribed drug every single day!!
In less then a generation our once mighty nation has been reduced to an impaired, docile, malleable
nation of drug addicts. Yes, Mr. Gadsden would be very, very pleased indeed..

Katherine Day, Ph.D.

04/28/14

Unfortunately,
Statins are NOT
drugs with no side
effects. Stinging,
tingling pain and
severe muscle aches
seem to accompany
statins for a
significant number
of people, even
those with terrible
numbers for
cholesterol. Some
patients would
rather avoid the
side effects and
take their chances
with the
cholesterol, using
other means, knowing
they are less
successful, such as
oat bran, rice bran,
various OTC
vitamins, diet and
exercise. With side
effects that often
do not resolve when
the statin is
discontinued, I
certainly can not
blame patients who
make this decision..